Page 40 of Blackmailed to the Altar

“What do you mean?” I thought back on if he wore a condom, but before I could ask, he was speaking.

His eyes met mine pointedly. “I should’ve avoided places with hair. This will not be pleasant. I’m sorry; it was a rookie mistake.” He held his hand out to me, and helped me out of the bath.

As we dried off, I stared at him like he had three heads, when I realized he was trying to care for me. My kidnapper trying to take care of me wasn’t a situation I thought I would be in. No one taught a course on this in school.

I followed him quietly into the bedroom and laid down. I’d have to hang on for this rollercoaster ride, and heal this man’s mind, so he can be free of this alter’s existence. Even though Riccardo had treated me nicer than I’d ever been before, I couldn’t ignore all the terrible things he’d done.

One amazing night of sex, where he didn’t lose control, wasn’t going to change that.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Sebastian

The morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a soft, golden glow across the room. I woke up to the birds chirping, and Mya lying naked in my arms, with a satisfied smile on her face. Was I in the Twilight Zone? How was it that this was the second time I’d awoken with my woman, and didn’t remember how I got there? Mya hadn’t wrapped her hair up the night prior, so her hair was all over the place, spread out on the satin pillowcases I bought just for her.

She looked peaceful, almost angelic, her usual guarded expression softened in sleep. The sight stirred something unfamiliar in me. A quiet, aching warmth that I hadn’t felt in… well, ever. I didn’t know how I’d ended up here, didn’t remember slipping into her bed, but there was a comfort in this moment that I wanted to cling to. Mya, the woman who should hate me, was in my arms. And it felt right in a way that defied every bit of logic.

I brushed her hair away from her face, my gloved fingers trailing lightly over her cheek. She stirred slightly, murmuring something incoherent, before settling back into the pillow. I couldn’t help the smile that broke out across my face, anunfamiliar tug at my lips that made my chest tighten. I didn’t deserve to have this. This softness, intimacy. It was dangerous to want it, to want more with her. I wanted to let myself believe it was something I could have, even for a moment. Right now, with Mya warm and alive in my arms, I let myself pretend.

She shifted again, her eyes fluttering open as she blinked up at me. Mya stretched and shot me a coy grin as I shook off my thoughts. “Morning,” she whispered.

When I didn’t respond, she looked back and forth into my eyes, before I saw disappointment flash in her gaze. She nodded, her cheeks flushing slightly, as she pulled back just enough to create a sliver of space between us.

What the fuck was that about? Did I not satisfy her or something?

“Good morning, my little wife-to-be.” I placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

She turned her head away and whispered, “Morning breath.”

But I wasn’t having any more of her rejection. I gripped her chin and forced her face toward me, then I gave her a kiss, uncaring of the smell emanating from her mouth. She could brush her teeth once I’d tasted her natural musk.

“Last night was amazing,” I rasped, even though I didn’t remember it. I knew it was off the charts.

Her eyes flickered with something, but I let her go before I could analyze it. I was surprised that Mya was lying docile in my arms, and allowing me to cuddle with her. I didn’t even know I had cuddling within me.

I’d never wanted to hold a woman before.

But there was something about Dr. Mya Rivers that set my blood aflame. She made me want to be a better human being. “How did you get into being a psychiatrist?”

“Don’t you know that answer already?” she mused.

“Actually, no. I don’t. I looked up your reputation, but I didn’t dig deep into your roots.” Even though I’d found a full file on her, I never opened it. I don’t know why my men got all that information on her, but I wanted to learn about my doctor from her.

“My mom had a nervous breakdown, and killed herself when I was a kid. All I wanted to do was be there for her, and be able to help her through her problems.” She shrugged.

“That’s a really great reason, though.” I was surprised. I thought she got into it because she liked manipulating people into acting the way she wanted them to. “Why did you start forcing people to take meds?”

She thought about my question for a while before answering. I rubbed my hand up and down her arm soothingly.

“At first, I couldn’t get a patient’s family to consent to experimental treatment. So, instead of administering a placebo, I gave him the real drug. When he had success with it, I was able to duplicate my findings in others. I was waiting for one to be rehabilitated back onto the streets.”

“Until I took you.”

She paused again before saying, “Yeah, before you took me.”

I shrugged, trying to keep my tone light. “Just curious. I know you’re into all that psych stuff. Figured you’d have some interesting stories.” I forced a chuckle, hoping it didn’t sound as hollow as it felt. “Hypothetically, what would you say if someone, uh, not me, said they were missing chunks of time? Waking up in places they didn’t remember going?”

Her expression shifted, concern flickering across her face. “Well,” Mya began, her tone careful but clinical, “if someone were experiencing memory gaps like that, it could point to a few things. Sometimes it’s trauma related; dissociative disorders, for example. The most extreme form would be Dissociative Identity Disorder, where a person’s mind essentially fragmentsinto separate identities, to cope with whatever they’re going through.”

---